{"podcast":{"title":"The World Cup Files","slug":"the-world-cup-files-7854774","podcast_index_feed_id":7854774,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/11139a58c/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ails-and-the-cheeks","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/45739579/45739579-1777767991964-b8a8291ad42c2.jpg","author":"Aileen Summers","episode_count":16,"summary":"The greatest show on earth has a history as dramatic as the matches themselves. The World Cup Files takes you back to where it all began, uncovering the untold stories, unforgettable moments, and wild facts behind every World Cup tournament. From heroes and villains to shocking upsets, controversial decisions, and moments no one saw coming — this is football history as you’ve never heard it before. Strap in. History never played it safe.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-28T06:22:17.485059+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774"},"episode":{"title":"File 16: France, 1998","slug":"file-16-france-1998","published_at":"2026-06-27T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774/file-16-france-1998","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ails-and-the-cheeks/episodes/File-16-France--1998-e3l4dpb","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/11139a58c/podcast/play/121828587/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-22%2Feeb70ea8-6e3d-44e8-0cf2-eaaafdd1aa90.mp3","summary":"In our sixteenth file, we travel to France, 1998 — where new nations emerged, old powers collided, and the host country dared to dream. For the first time, 32 teams arrived to compete for football’s greatest prize. New nations made their mark, underdogs produced unforgettable shocks, and Croatia announced themselves to the world with a remarkable run. Brazil returned as defending champions, led by the brilliant Ronaldo — but the hosts had a gifted team of their own and a nation beginning to believe. In Episode 16: France 1998 , we uncover how the World Cup expanded into a truly global tournament, how controversy and mystery surrounded Brazil before the final, and how Zinedine Zidane inspired France to its first world title on home soil. Strap in. History never played it safe.","meta_description":"In our sixteenth file, we travel to France, 1998 — where new nations emerged, old powers collided, and the host country dared to dream. For the first time…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1205,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-world-cup-files-7854774/episodes/file-16-france-1998/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774/file-16-france-1998.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}